Trump Forced To Take On ‘Increased Security’ After ‘Sniper’ Position Found

President Donald J. Trump boarded Air Force One via a smaller staircase on Sunday after the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) discovered a suspected hunting stand with a direct line of sight to the presidential aircraft’s landing area at Palm Beach International Airport.

According to a White House official, the decision to tighten security and modify the president’s boarding procedures came “out of an abundance of caution.”

Fox News first reported the discovery on Friday, describing the structure as a possible sniper position situated within visual range of Air Force One’s arrival and departure routes. No arrests have been made, but both the FBI and Secret Service are treating the find as a serious threat.

“Prior to the President’s return to West Palm Beach, USSS discovered what appeared to be an elevated hunting stand within sight line of the Air Force One landing zone,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital.
“No individuals were located at the scene. The FBI has since taken the investigatory lead, flying in resources to collect all evidence from the scene, and deploying our cell phone analytics capabilities,” Patel added.

USSS Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi confirmed that federal agents are “working closely” with local law enforcement and the FBI.
“There was no impact to any movements, and no individuals were present or involved at the location,” Guglielmi told Fox News. “While we are not able to provide details about the specific items or their intent, this incident underscores the importance of our layered security measures.”

The suspicious discovery comes on the heels of several disturbing assassination attempts and threats targeting President Trump in recent months — underscoring the unprecedented security risks he continues to face as the nation’s 47th president.

Just weeks ago, Ryan Routh was convicted for attempting to assassinate then-former President Trump during a golf outing in Palm Beach. Prosecutors said Routh constructed a sniper’s nest in the bushes along a fence line overlooking the course before being captured by Secret Service agents.

That plot followed another shocking incident this summer, when 20-year-old gunman Thomas Crooks opened fire on Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The attempt nearly succeeded, grazing the president’s ear before Crooks was fatally neutralized by law enforcement.

Late last month, new videos emerged showing Crooks dry-firing a handgun in his bedroom, practicing tactical stances in front of a camera. Conservative commentator Candace Owens obtained and aired the footage, calling it a “terrifying look into the mind of an obsessed assassin.”

In one video, Crooks is seen holding a handgun over his neatly made bed, with a Marvel poster in the background. He lifts the weapon, assumes a professional stance, and dry-fires toward an unseen target off camera. Another clip shows him standing silently before a target sheet marked with blue circles, eerily rehearsing his attack.

According to FBI documents cited by Owens, Crooks’ online search history painted a grim picture. One week before the July shooting, he searched: “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?” His laptop also contained queries such as “Deadliest Mass Shooting in World,” “Pulse nightclub police body camera,” “Fertilizer bomb,” and “How to make a Molotov cocktail.”

Despite those warning signs, former FBI Director Chris Wray admitted under oath that Crooks was never flagged by federal law enforcement prior to the attack — a revelation that continues to fuel criticism of the Bureau’s domestic threat protocols.

The discovery of a hunting stand overlooking Air Force One now raises even more serious questions about ongoing security vulnerabilities around President Trump’s movements — and whether all agencies are fully coordinating to prevent future threats.